Safety in road transport

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2018, Volume 50, Number 3(189), Pages 36-42 DOI: 10.5604/01.3001.0012.6225

Original article

Safety in road transport

Leszek Gil1_{*, Daniel Pieniak}2 _{, Agata Walczak}2

1_{Higher School of Economics and Innovation in Lublin,}

Faculty of Transport and Computer Science, Poland, l.gil@poczta.onet.pl

2_{Faculty of Fire Safety Engineering, Main School of Fire Service, Warsaw, Poland,}

dpieniak@sgsp.edu.pl; awalczak@sgsp.edu.pl INFORMATIONS ABSTRACT Article history: Submited: 08 February 2018 Accepted: 16 May 2018 Published: 30 September 2018

The article describes the transport process and the drivers’ approach with regard to respecting the applicable driver's working time stand-ards. This paper presents and discusses the results of a survey con-ducted among professional drivers, the primary purpose of which was to obtain the response to the question whether drivers actually rest during the break. Legal regulations strictly determine the mini-mum daily and weekly rest periods and the maximini-mum daily and weekly driving times. Appropriate advanced technologies represent-ed by measuring tools to the great extent oblige drivers to take a rest at the right time. Nevertheless, on the basis of the research it was stated that drivers frequently execute other activities, thus try-ing to increase their profits durtry-ing break time, and therefore they commit for a rest shorter time than this resulting from the current working time regulations. The introduction of newer and more ad-vanced solutions in the recording equipment substantially limits the possibility of performing other activities related to the vehicle during a break, and forces drivers to have a rest, thereby they pose less risk on the roads.

* Corresponding author _KEYWORDS

transport and communication, safety, driver working time

Introduction

The transportation process comprises operations consisting of the carriage process (loading, transporting, unloading) and activities related to the organization of a given carriage, which precede or follow the carriage process. The process of carriage is a fun-damental element of the transportation process, which has a significant impact on transport safety. It requires involvement of a means of transport, and loading and un-loading are the essential elements without which this process cannot exist. For carri-ers, the standing of a transport means under the loading excludes it from the transport work. Consequently, limiting the time of loading, handling and unloading processes is

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37 one of the elementary factors for increasing efficiency of the transport process. For this purpose, ‘self-unloading’ devices such as tipper trucks [Kapustynski et al. 2011] are used to transport certain types of cargo. In order to increase the transport capacity of the means of transport, drivers try to limit the time of handling, on which, however they often have no bearing. The duration of the loading and unloading phases depends mainly on the mass, dimensions, shape, packaging, natural properties of the cargo, as well as on the size and shape of the cargo spaces and organizational measures in a cer-tain enterprise [Niezbecki et al. 2016]. The duration of logistic and handling operations does not always limit the driving time on a given day, but reduces the period of the driver’s actual rest.

1. Working time standards of professional drivers

The driver's working time is restricted by the Working Hours Act [Dz. U. 1999 Nr 44, poz. 432]. The fundamental provisions are based on working time standards. The basic requirement is 8 hours worked per day. This does not apply to an equivalent working system where it is possible to work for 12 hours a day. The next limitation is the 40-hour average weekly work-time. It is important to note that this standard is calculated as an average for the entire reference period. Another limitation is the standard for working time combined with overtime work. The weekly working time of a driver, to-gether with working overtime, cannot exceed an average of 48 hours in a given refer-ence period; this is a weekly average, and thus it does not have to be fulfilled each week but on average in the reference period. This standard does not allow planning overtime work, and it should be borne in mind that overtime work is something excep-tional and indispensable at any given moment. Another requirement is ensuring prop-er daily and weekly rest for a drivprop-er. It is of great importance that EU regulations have priority over Polish laws [Niezbecki et al. 2016]. Driving time guidelines strictly deter-mine how many hours per day a driver can drive a vehicle [Gil et al. 2013, 2014].

2. Analysis of a practical aspects of compliance

with provisions regulating working time for professional drivers

Based on the survey conducted, the research results and the practical aspects of compli-ance with the rules governing the working time of a professional driver are presented.

2.1. Own research

The present study describes and discusses the results of the questionnaire survey on the compliance of driver’s working time and necessary breaks from driving. Research work was analyzed on the basis of material collected as a result of the survey carried out among professional drivers. The questionnaire was addressed to the employees working in the positions of drivers for the transport company based in the Lubelskie Voivodeship. The questionnaire consisted of several questions. These questions con-cerned directly or indirectly issues related to driver's working time in road transport. The questionnaire took the form of a printed format with the questions and answers,

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and the respondents chose and indicated the ones they considered to be true. Most of the questions were closed. The questionnaire also contained semi-open questions that combined the features of closed and open questions, such as a set of ready-made an-swers (like a closed question), and the possibility to speak freely (as in an open ques-tion). The questionnaire concerned, inter alia, the evaluation of the examined driver's working time regulations, the understanding of the rules of working time, the average duration of the various stages of the transport process and breach of the working time rules. The research was conducted last year. Surveys were handed personally by the co-author of the study. Before filling in the questionnaire, the respondents were in-formed about the anonymity of their responses, as well as assured discretion and that the information received would be used solely for the purposes of this study. The re-spondents were guaranteed sufficient time to complete the questionnaire so that they felt they did not have to hurry to respond.

2.2. Results and research analysis

The research objective was to investigate the observance of provisions regulating pro-fessional drivers’ working time, which significantly affect the safety during transport. All employees working as drivers filled in the questionnaire. The relevant factors de-termining the driver's time-related issues included the length of service, categories of driving licenses and whether the driver worked in national or international traffic. Among the respondents, almost half of them were drivers with a work experience of over 10 years as a professional driver. Only 20% declared that they had been working less than 2 years as a professional driver.

Fig. 1. Activities other than rest that drivers perform during a work-break

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39 Most of the surveyed drivers had a category C + E driving license (73%), a few persons had a category D + E, and one a category C. The interviewed persons mostly drove on international routes. This group accounted for 70%. The remaining 30% worked in na-tional traffic. It has appeared from the research carried out that 70% of drivers be-lieved that the rules governing their working time were understandable and 30% de-clared that not everything was always clear enough. Most respondents expressed opinion that working time regulations made it difficult for them to work (80%), while 20% had a positive attitude – the rules simplified their work. Figure 1 shows the aver-age working time for activities other than driving during the transportation process.

Fig. 2. The average time of particular phases if the transport process

Source: [Niezbecki et al. 2016].

Alarming data can be observed when analyzing the survey conducted. More than a half of the respondents admitted that they had contact with fraud to tachograph records. All respondents acknowledged that during work they faced situations of exceeding a daily permissible working time. The diagram below illustrates premises for the above. The most common reason given by the respondents is the difficulty in finding a parking space (25%). In the second place the respondents reported traffic jams (22%) as a reason, 18% explained the necessity of reaching the place of loading and unload-ing, and 14% – made a mistake in calculating the correct working time. Fourteen per-cent of the respondents admitted that they had exceeded the time in order to reach home or the base. As the last of the reasons the drivers mentioned waiting in line at a border crossing point.

Fig. 3.Reasons for exceeding the work-time period

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3. Conclusion and final comments

The worrying data can be observed when analyzing the survey conducted. More than a half of the respondents confesses to the falsification of tachograph records. These respondents who had falsified records of tachographs explained that they had done so due to the obligation to meet the need for fast carriage of goods and delivering it on time to the indicated address. Legal regulations and the application of technologically advanced control tools serve for the normalization of driver’s working time so that economic circumstances do not obscure the key issue, i.e. safety, and ensure the most appropriate working conditions. The study allowed for drawing the following conclu-sions:

– Extremely important is the emphasis put on training future drivers so that they can fully understand and be able to apply working time standards in practice. – With the increase in length of service, drivers are more aware of the rules

gov-erning working time.

– There is no need to make changes to work-breaks and obligatory rest – accord-ing to drivers, adequate time is ensured for them for rest and body regenera-tion, provided the regulations are respected.

– Despite the strong emphasis on monitoring the compliance with working time and the development of technology aiming to streamline the process, drivers still falsify recordings of control devices. Therefore, such equipment and moni-toring measures should be constantly improved in order to make them more effective.

– The transport process should be improved, including elements that are not de-pendent on a driver and have a significant impact on his/her working condi-tions, e.g. duration of waiting for loading/unloading, amount of office formali-ties.

– It is important to focus on making drivers and their employers more aware that performing activities other than rest during a mandatory resting period in-volves exposing them to risk.

– Most of situations in which working time is exceeded result from factors inde-pendent from a driver and an employer. However, the economic circumstanc-es, i.e. the need to arrive at the place of loading/unloading often threatened by contractual penalties, are one of the three most common reasons for non-compliance.

– It is important to consider the adoption of more flexible approach to driver's working time and introduction of more possibilities for its adjustment to specif-ic situations – when the driving time is coming to an end and a driver wants at all costs to arrive at his/her base or place of loading/unloading; when in a rush, stressed and under the pressure of time, he/she poses a greater risk on the road than if it were possible to legally extend the driving time and reach the fi-nal destination. On the other hand, changes in legislation should be designed in such a way as to avoid abuse and excessive use of such opportunities.

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Acknowledgement

No acknowledgement and potential founding was reported by the authors.

Conflict of interests

The author declared no conflict of interests.

Author contributions

All authors contributed to the interpretation of results and writing of the paper. All au-thors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethical statement

The research complies with all national and international ethical requirements.

ORCID

Leszek Gil – The author declared that he has no ORCID ID’s Daniel Pieniak https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7807-3515 Agata Walczak – The author declared that she has no ORCID ID’s

References

Dz. U. 1999 Nr 44, poz. 432. (1999). Rozporzadzenie Ministra Transportu i Gospodarki Morskiej z dnia 1 kwietnia 1999 r. w sprawie warunkow technicznych pojazdow oraz zakresu ich nie-zbednego wyposazenia.

Gil, L., Ignaciuk, P. and Pieniak, D. (2014). Wplyw zmian w czasie pracy kierowcy na logistyke transportu, Logistyka, no. 3, pp. 1988-1992.

Gil, L., Pieniak, D., Ignaciuk, P. and Piernikarski, D. (2013). Czas pracy kierowcy a logistyka transportu. Autobusy. Technika, eksploatacja, systemy transportowe. vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 1045-1051.

Kapustynski, W., Kohyt, K. and Kapustynski, D. (2011). Tachograf cyfrowy. Jak urzadzenie

reje-strujace bezblednie i zgodnie z prawem obslugiwac. 2nd_{ed. Pila: Wydawnictwo SPH CREDO.}

Niezbecki, K., Gil, L., Pieniak, D. and Majder-Lopatka, M. (2016). Wplyw przestrzegania czasu pracy kierowcy na bezpieczenstwo w procesie transportowym (report). X Miedzynarodowa Konferencja Problemy bezpieczenstwa w pojazdach samochodowych. Automotive Safety 2016, 22-24.2.2016, Kielce.

Biographical notes

Leszek Gil – DSc, Eng., graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics of the Lublin

Universi-ty of Technology, majored in Mechanics and Machine Construction in specialization: cars and tractors. In 2011 he defended his dissertation at the Faculty of Mechanics of the Lublin University of Technology. He received a doctorate in technical sciences in Machine Construction and Operation. Since 2011 he has been working as assistant

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fessor at the Higher School of Economics and Innovation in Lublin at the Faculty of Transport and Computer Science.

Daniel Pieniak – DSc, Eng., in 2006 graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics of the

Lu-blin University of Technology, majored in Mechanics and Machine Construction in spe-cialization: cars and tractors. In 2006 he started working as assistant at the Depart-ment of Applied Mechanics of the Main School of Fire Service. In 2010 he defended his dissertation at the Faculty of Mechanics of the Lublin University of Technology. He re-ceived a doctorate in technical sciences in Machine Construction and Operation. Since 2010 he has been working as assistant professor. He carries out research work in the field of technical safety engineering, in particular fire safety. He conducts strength and operational research of engineering and functional materials as well as reliability tests in the operating environment (mainly under the thermal conditions). In addition, he deals with issues of engineering biomechanics and research on firefighters’ personal protection.

Agata Walczak – Capt. M.A. Eng., graduated from the Faculty of Fire Safety

Engineer-ing of the Main School of Fire Service in Warsaw. Since 2011 she has been employed as assistant in the Department of Applied Mechanics at the Main School of Fire Service in Warsaw. Since 2015 she has been a PhD student at the Technical Airforce Institute in Warsaw.

How to cite this paper

Gil, L., Pieniak, D. and Walczak, A. (2018). Safety in road transport. Scientific Journal of

the Military University of Land Forces, vol. 50, no. 3(189), pp. 36-42, http://dx.doi.org/

10.5604/01.3001.0012.6225

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/